Women winemakers are commonplace these days, but no region owes as much of its success to women as Champagne. Madame Clicquot was 27 when she was widowed and took the reins, and in mid-November I had a chat with another 27-year-old from Veuve Clicquot, their red wine maker, Louise Grillet. Veuve Rosé uses 12-15% red wine (again higher than usual), “adding this amount of red increases the complexity, adds colour, fruit and tannins, and allows the wine to age for much longer,” she continued. Around 17% of Grande Marque chef de caves are women, and 40% of Grower Champagnes are women-owned. JJ O’Driscolls; Curious Wines Cork, curiouswines.ieVeuve Clicquot Brut Rosé Champagne, €80Created in 1818, and the first blended rosé Champagne (Ruinart’s skin-contact rosé was a little earlier).

Source: Irish Examiner December 26, 2025 13:47 UTC